Bicycle



a. G. DIETYERICH.

(No Model.)

BICYCLE.

Patented May 5, 1896.

AN DREW B GRAHAM PHOTU-UTMQWASHINGTDND C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Ornrcn.

CHARLES G. DIETERICH, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,368, dated May5,1896. Application filed January 17,1896. Serial No. 575,824. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. DIETERICH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented an Improvement in Bicycles, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of the present invention is to allow for the raising orlowering of the handle-bar with facility, so that the rider can adaptthe same to his posture without stopping. In my application, Serial No.566,305, filed October 21, 1895, a latching device is represented foraccomplishing the aforesaid object.

In my present improvement the latch and the device for operating thesameare applied at the head of the pivotal tube that receives the forkof the front wheel and also the handle-bar tube, so that such latchingdevice can be easily applied to bicycles already constructed and thehandle-bar tube alone needs to be changed, and I combine along with thelatch a clamping device for holding the handle-bar tube rigidly in thepivotal tube of the fork.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section showing a portion of thepivotal tube of the fork with the present improvements ap plied. Fig. 2is a sectional plan at the line 2 2. Fig. 3 is a similar plan at theline 3 3, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan at the line 4 4.

The pivotal tube A, that is connected at its lower end to the fork ofthe front wheel, is received into the front tube of the frame, and theball-bearings for such pivotal tube and the connections to the frame maybe of any desired character. The handle-bar B is per manently connectedto the tube'C, which is adapted to slide freely within the pivotal tubeA, and this handle-bar tube 0 has a longitudinal groove or slot 4 withinclines 5, formin g teeth that act like a ratchet, or holes may besubstituted for such inclines, they being at the inner or bottom surfaceof the groove 4.

The band D is applied around the upper end of the pivotal tube A andconnected thereto in any desired manner. In some instances it may bescrewed upon the thread usually provided around the upper end of thepivotal tube. I have, however, represented a screw 6 as passing throughthe band and into a hole in the pivotal tube A for connecting the bandto the tube and for allowing its disconnection for repairs. There is alateral extension D from this band forming a rectangular recess for theclamping-key E. 'When this lateral extension is at the side of thepivotal tube, it will usually be at right angles to the pivotal tube;but when it is at the rear, as shown in the drawings, the lateralextension may be horizontal and hence at an angle to the pivotal tube,because such pivotal tube is usually inclined.

The clamping-key E is provided with upper' and lower flanges '7, settingover the top and bottom edges of the lateral extension D, so as to allowthe clamping-key to be moved backward and forward, but to retain suchclamping-key in position, because it cannot be removed until afterthehandle-bar tube has been drawn out from the pivotal tube,

into the groove and prevent any looseness of the parts, and at the sametime a pressure by the clam ping-key against the handle-bar tube holdssuch handle-bar tube rigidly within the pivotal tube. In order to set upthe clamping-key E when desired, a screw F is'passed through the lat:

eral extension D of the baud D and. acts against the rear surface of theclamping-key E, so that such key can be forced against the tube 0, orthe clamping-key can be drawn back, so that the rib 8 is clear of thetube'O to allow this tube 0 to be turned within the pivotal tube A or bewithdrawn, if desired; and I remark that it is advantageous to stop offthe groove 4 near its lower end, so that the rib 8 prevents thehandle-bar tube being drawnout until the clamp-key E has been drawnback.

The parts thus far described alone may be made use of, because byloosening the screw F the handle-bar and its tube can be raised orlowered while in use, the rib 8 causing the handle-bar tube and pivotaltube to turn together, and by tightening the screw F the handle-bar andits tube can be instantly held at the position to which it may be raisedor lowered.

It is often more convenient to employ a latch-bolt in addition to theparts before mentioned, which latch-bolt is shown at I as passingthrough the clamp-key E and the screw F, and there is a head 9 at theback end of the latch-bolt for withdrawing the same and a spring 10around such latch-bolt for projecting the end of the latch-bolt intocontact with the inclined teeth 5, and this spring 10 yields as theinclines of the teeth act against the end of the bolt in raising thehandle-bar and its tube, and the spring projects the bolt to hold theteeth, and by drawing back the latch-bolt I the handle-bar tube can bedepressed.

The hole 11 in the handlebar tube 0 can receive the end of thelatch-bolt I when the handle-bar tube has been drawn up to the extremepoint of elevation, and the lateral grooves 12 terminate at the holes13, so that after the handle-bar and tube have been drawn up the handlebar can be turned around into line, or nearly so, with the front wheel,the end of the latch-bolt I passing into one of the grooves 12, and theparts are held in position by the latch-bolt entering one of the holes13. By this arrangement the handle-bar tube can be raised or lowered andthe handle-bar can be turned around, so that the parts occupy less spacewhen the bicycle is stood aside and out of use.

In the construction shown it is advantageous to make the screw 6sufficiently large for the latch-bolt to be slipped out endwise throughthe screw-hole when such screw and the handle-bar tube have been removedto facilitate the separation of the parts when they have been takenapart.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with the pivotal tube andhandle-bar, of a tube connected to the handle-bar and adapted to slidefreely in the pivotal tube and grooved longitudinally, a clamp-keyhaving inclined sides and entering such groove for guiding thehandle-bar and its tube as raised or lowered, and means for pressing theclamp-key into the groove of the handle-bar tube, substantially as setforth.

2. The combination with the pivotal tube and handle-bar, of a tubeconnected to the handle-bar and adapted to slide freely in the pivotaltube and grooved longitudinally, a clamp-key entering such groove forguiding the handle-bar and its tube as raised or lowered, a bandsurrounding the pivotal tube and recessed to receive the clamp-key and ascrew for acting upon such clamp-key, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the pivotal tube and handle-bar, of a tubeconnected to the handle-bar and adapted to slide freely in the pivotaltube and grooved longitudinally, a clamp-key having a rib and inclinedadjacent surfaces entering such groove for guiding the handle-bar andits tube as raised or lowered, a band surrounding the pivotal tube andrecessed to receive the clamp-key and a screw for acting upon suchclamp-key, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the pivotal tube and handle-bar, of a tubeconnected to the handle-bar and adapted to slide freely in the pivotaltube and grooved longitudinally, a clamp-key entering such groove forguiding the handle-bar and its tube as raised or lowered, means forpressing the clamp key against the handle-bar tube, a latch-bolt andspring for projecting the same, the end of such latch-bolt engagingteeth upon the handle-bar tube or entering holes in the same,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the pivotal tube and the handle-bar, of ahandle-bar tube grooved longitudinally and having a lateral groove atthe lower end and openings, a band around the pivotal tube having alateral extension, a clamp-key having top and bottom flanges and adaptedto hold within the lateral extension, there being a rib on the face ofthe clamp-key engaging the groove in the handle-bar tube, a screw foracting upon the clamp-key, a latch-bolt passing through the clamp-keyand the screw and provided with a head and a spring to act upon thelatchbolt to project its end into either of the holes in the handle-bartube that may be brought into line with such latch-bolt, substantiallyas set forth.

Signed by me this 15th day of January, 1896.

CHARLES G. DIETERICH.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND.

